[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 3839-3840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28777]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
49 CFR Parts 191 and 192
[Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0225]
Pipeline Safety: Frequently Asked Questions on the Gas
Transmission Rule
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notification and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: PHMSA is seeking public comment on a second set of draft
frequently asked questions (Batch-2 FAQs) to facilitate implementation
of its final rule titled ``Safety of Gas Transmission Pipelines: MAOP
Reconfirmation, Expansion of Assessment Requirements, and other Related
Amendments'' (Gas Transmission Rule).
DATES: Comments on the draft Batch-2 FAQs should be submitted to Docket
No. PHMSA-2019-0225 no later than March 16, 2021.
ADDRESSES:
E-Gov Web: http://www.regulations.gov. This site allows
the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice issued by
any agency. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), West Building, Ground Floor, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System: West
Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except
federal holidays.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Instructions: Identify the Docket Number PHMSA-2019-0225
at the beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail,
submit two copies. If you wish to receive confirmation that PHMSA
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard.
Internet users may submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov.
Privacy Act: DOT may solicit comments from the public
regarding certain general notices. DOT posts these comments, without
edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to
www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at www.dot.gov/privacy.
Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this document contain
commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as
private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or
responsive to this document, it is important that you clearly designate
the submitted comments as CBI. Pursuant to 49 CFR 190.343, you may ask
PHMSA to give confidential treatment to information you give to the
agency by taking the following steps: (1) Mark each page of the
original document submission containing CBI as ``Confidential,'' (2)
send PHMSA, along with the original document, a second copy of the
original document with the CBI deleted, and (3) explain why the
information you are submitting is CBI. Unless you are notified
otherwise, PHMSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential
under FOIA, and the submissions will not be placed in the public docket
of this notification. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Chris Hoidal at Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
Western Region, PHP-500, 12300 W. Dakota Avenue, Suite 110, Lakewood,
CO 80228. Any commentary PHMSA receives that is not specifically
designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this matter.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background
documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets.
Alternatively, you may review the documents in person at DOT in the
West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except
federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
General: Chris Hoidal, Senior Technical Advisor, Office of Pipeline
Safety, by telephone at 303-807-8833, or email at [email protected].
Technical: Steve Nanney, Project Manager, Office of Pipeline
Safety, by telephone at 713-272-2855, or email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PHMSA provides written clarification of the
pipeline safety regulations (49 CFR parts
[[Page 3840]]
190-199) in the form of periodically updated FAQs and other guidance
materials. On October 1, 2019, PHMSA published amendments to 49 CFR
parts 191 and 192 in the Gas Transmission final rule (84 FR 52180),
which addressed several statutory mandates from the Pipeline Safety,
Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (Pub. L. 112-90).
PHMSA finalized the first set of FAQs (Batch-1 FAQs) to help clarify,
explain, and promote better understanding of the Gas Transmission final
rule. The Batch-1 FAQs were posted to the docket on September 16, 2020.
PHMSA is requesting public comment on a second set of draft FAQs
(Batch-2 FAQs) pertaining to the Gas Transmission final rule. The
Batch-2-FAQs are intended to help the public understand and implement
necessary changes in response to PHMSA's new regulations. They are in
response to specific questions received from the regulated community,
pipeline safety regulators, and the public. Operators and state
regulators may also request written regulatory interpretations from
PHMSA regarding specific situations in accordance with 49 CFR 190.11.
While FAQs are provided to help the public understand how to comply
with the regulations, they are not substantive rules themselves and do
not create legally enforceable rights, assign duties, or impose new
obligations not otherwise contained in the existing regulations and
standards. However, an operator who is able to demonstrate compliance
with the FAQs is likely to be able to demonstrate compliance with the
relevant regulations.
The draft FAQs and other supporting documents are available online
on the Federal eRulemaking Portal, https://www.regulations.gov; search
for Docket No. PHMSA-2019-0225. Before finalizing the draft FAQs, PHMSA
will evaluate all comments received on or before the comment closing
date. Comments received after the closing date will be evaluated to the
extent
practicable. Once finalized, the FAQs will be posted in the docket
and on PHMSA's public website at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC on December 22, 2020, under authority
delegated in 49 CFR 1.97.
Alan K. Mayberry,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 2020-28777 Filed 1-14-21; 8:45 am]
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